Double Sided Majesty
by SYChunsa
Summary: Zelda was surrounded by many, but she remained a solitary fortress. Before she knew it, Hyrule faded into Twilight, but she saw hope in the form of the blue-eyed beast. Trapped in her own castle, Zelda ponders upon her life in the company of an imp. The events preceding and during Twilight Princess through the eyes of Princess Zelda. Prequel to TEA. Marginal Zelink if you squint.
1. The Wheels Begin to Turn

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda, just this plot and misc. characters. Spoilers!

A/N: Welcome to the fantastic world of the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Contains very slight references to my ongoing work Descending Darkness. A surprise story that is part of the Twilight Ever After series! This details Zelda's experiences shortly before and during the events of Twilight Princess that were vaguely mentioned in TEA. Here, we take a deeper look into Zelda's personality and relationships. So during the wait for TEA's sequel, enjoy this story! ((All stories are experiencing delays because my computer crashed and I lost the most recent chapters...school also started so I don't have as much free time. :( ))

Story Notes

1. shimai-Japanese for a female family member. This word is used to represent the Ancient Hylian equivalent since I, unfortunately, can't type in Hylian.

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_**Double-Sided Majesty**_

_**Chapter One: The Wheels Begin to Turn**_

_**written by SYChunsa**_

As the skies faded into the mournful orange glow of twilight, a dark shadow crept over the land of Hyrule. Soon, the kingdom was plunged into darkness. However, a light suddenly burst forth, taking the shape of a creature with glowing blue eyes.

"...Your Majesty!"

The glow around a young woman's eyes faded, and her royal blue eyes blinked several times before they focused on the kind face of her elderly adviser Rufal. His storm gray eyes were looking back at her with concern as his bald head and graying beard crinkled with a frown. The owner of the shimmering blue eyes placed a hand to her rapidly racing head.

"Princess Zelda, are you alright?" he asked in his soft and elderly voice.

The fair skinned and brown haired beauty returned her hand to the armrest of the golden throne she was sitting in.

"There is a shadow coming," the princess stated.

"A shadow, Your Grace?" Rufal questioned.

"Hyrule will fall to the darkness," Zelda replied.

Fear filled the elderly man's eyes as he witnessed the expression of the princess turn grim in contrast to her usual face void of emotion.

"Are we done for the day, Rufal?" she quietly asked.

"Yes. There are no more hearings today, Your Highness," the adviser replied.

"Then I shall leave to go rest," the princess stated before she stood from the throne.

"Very well," Rufal said as he bowed toward the monarch.

Zelda tilted her head in acknowledgement of Rufal's respective gesture, and she slowly descended the steps from her throne. The Royal Guard saluted her, but Zelda did not miss the half-hearted effort behind them. The Princess of Hyrule held in a sigh as she exited the Grand Throne Room at the very top of the castle. She paused to look at the vast land before her.

How did she come to rule such a beautiful kingdom at a young age? What were the lives of others out in the tiny villages in the distance like? What would it be like to fly away into the sunset like the birds that she envied so? She let out an audible sigh.

"You seem more melancholic than usual, my Princess."

The husky voice of a female was familiar to her ears, and Zelda turned around to face a young woman, perhaps a few years older than her. She stood out from the rest of the castle with her unusual features and garb. Her wine red eyes held the slightest hint of mischief while her short and unruly silver hair framed her slim face. Upside down white triangle tattoos were present under her eyes, and her short and pointed ears stood out among the long eared Hylians and round eared humans. She wore a tight black sleeveless bodysuit, metal shoulderpads, a chestplate, two dark blue pieces of fabric hanging in front and behind her legs from a belt with embroidery of an eye with a tear, and boots of a peculiar design. Two daggers were attached to the small of her back.

"Fanista," Zelda whispered.

"Would you like to talk, my friend?" Fanista asked, her eyes softening at the sight of the monarch's dull eyes.

The princess nodded, and the silver haired woman quietly walked beside her as they made their way to the courtyard of the castle. Zelda took a seat on a worn stone bench first before Fanista mimicked her actions, and the brown haired Hylian let out another deep sigh.

"Darkness will befall Hyrule soon, and it will come to pass like all of the visions of the Goddesses," Zelda stated as her eyes looked up to the bright blue sky.

The monarch's friend laid a gentle hand on Zelda's shoulder, drawing her royal blue eyes into Fanista's red ones.

"What else did you see?" she gently asked.

"The light of a...blue-eyed creature," the princess replied.

"Do you know what it is, exactly?" Fanista questioned.

"I look into those eyes, and I feel...nostalgic, like I have seen those proud blue eyes before. I also feel hope. I believe that it is the light of hope that will save the kingdom when it falls," Zelda whispered as she clutched her hands tight to her chest.

Fanista's eyes flickered with pain as she looked at her dear friend resigning herself to fate. The silver haired woman left her spot on the bench to pull the monarch's hands from her chest and pull them to her own as she knelt before Zelda. The brown haired princess looked at Fanista in surprise as her friend placed a kiss on the back of the hand that bore the mark of the Triforce.

"My friend, my Sheikah superiors have summoned me..." Fanista began.

Zelda could not hide her shock as a single tear slipped out of each of her dear friend's eyes. The young monarch leaned over before gently wiping Fanista's tears.

"Why do you cry, my _shimai_?" Zelda asked affectionately (1).

"I must leave your side during the time that darkness shall surely befall Hyrule. I have already protested, but alas, I cannot refuse the orders of the elders, because their orders are ones from the heavens," the Sheikah whispered, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"It is okay, Fanista. I have already accepted my fate. Such is the life of the one who bears Triforce of Wisdom," the princess quietly said as her eyes saddened even as her face remained neutral.

"Zelda," the silver haired guardian whispered, the monarch's sadness failing to evade her watchful eyes.

A heavy silence fell upon the air.

"When will you leave?" Zelda quietly asked.

"I received the order to return to the village three nights ago. I have delayed leaving the castle as long as possible. The elders have given me until today," the Sheikah replied.

"I see," the princess muttered, her lips curving down into a frown.

"I'm sorry, Zelda. I do not wish to leave the side of you, my Hylian _shimai_," Fanista said.

"And I do not want to be parted from you. My side will feel empty without you here," Zelda responded.

The princess rose from her seat while Fanista remained kneeling, her silver haired head tilted down in sorrow and regret.

"Promise me that you will return to my side after this is over," the young monarch requested.

Fanista placed a fist to her heart.

"I promise, my dear friend," the Sheikah vowed before standing to look into Zelda's deep blue eyes.

In a rare moment of being overwhelmed by emotion, Fanista threw her muscular arms around the lithe frame of the Princess of Hyrule. The Sheikah squeezed her friend, and Zelda could sense the anxiety, sadness, and frustration coming from her guardian. The sole monarch of Hyrule encircled her arms around the taller woman, and they stood still for a few moments.

"And promise me that I will have a friend to return to," Fanista's husky and shaking voice said.

"I promise. Now, leave before your heart wavers again," Zelda replied before breaking the embrace.

The monarch held Fanista's calloused hands in her gloved ones.

"Goodbye, Fanista. May the Goddesses protect you," she whispered.

"Goodbye, Zelda. And may the Goddesses protect you as well," the Sheikah whispered before letting go of her dear friend's hands.

Fanista ran toward the exit of the courtyard before casting one last look back at the Princess of Hyrule. Sadness marred her usually stoic features as she clutched one hand to her chest while waving with the other. The Sheikah raised a hand in farewell before disappearing from the castle grounds, her heart clenching all the while.

Zelda was left alone in the courtyard, already feeling empty with her friend's leave. Even in a castle filled with hundreds of servants, she sank into silent solitude, and the princess reluctantly left the courtyard to enter the castle. The brown haired Hylian found Rufal standing outside of the grand double doors to her study.

"Your Grace, I am worried for you. I have been with you since the time of the late King, and I care for you deeply. Even if I do not have much knowledge of the mystic arts, please do tell me what has been on your mind," Rufal begged.

The monarch's expression softened as Rufal stepped out of his normal role as an adviser to comfort her.

"Come inside, Rufal," Zelda said as she opened one of the doors.

The elderly man followed the princess into the study before closing the door behind him. Zelda took a seat on the large sofa before gesturing toward the sofa across from her, and Rufal mimicked Zelda's actions. The princess let out a heavy sigh as she decided to tell her adviser all that she had seen.

"The Goddesses have sent me a warning vision. Soon, a darkness will befall Hyrule. Rufal, I want you to leave the castle and return to your home in Castle Town before Hyrule falls," Zelda requested.

"L-Leave? But Your Majesty!" Rufal exclaimed.

The princess quietly slipped the elderly man's hands into her own, and she closed her royal blue eyes.

"Please, Rufal. I cannot bear to lose a dear friend such as yourself," the monarch whispered.

"Princess..." the bearded man muttered.

"Hyrule may fall, but in the vision I saw, there was a light of hope. It will set things right, so please, you must stay safe in order to return to my side once this is all over," Zelda added.

Rufal let out a sad smile as he placed a wrinkly hand upon the young monarch's face.

"You have grown up into a splendid young woman, Zelda. The late King would be proud," Zelda's adviser commented before lowering his hand again.

"I only grew up so well because you have been with me ever since he passed away five years ago," the brown haired ruler replied.

Rufal's storm gray eyes obtained a watery sheen as tears welled up.

"Are you lonely...Zelda?" he tentatively asked.

The princess could not help her mild surprise as Rufal dropped her title again, something he had not done for many years.

"Why...do you ask?" she replied.

"You have changed. You were such a joyful child, but I have watched that joy fade over the period of eight years. You have become like a fortress, strong but very solitary. Impenetrable and indifferent," the elder replied.

Hearing Rufal's words, Zelda was at a loss.

"You changed especially after your seventeenth birthday passed," the adviser continued.

"Seventeen...it is known as the Age of Destiny while eighteen is known as the Age of Adulthood. My powers as the chosen of the Goddess Nayru fully awakened when I turned seventeen. My dreams then became filled with visions and memories. I have not had a dreamless sleep for over a year now," the princess muttered.

"Ever since the late queen's passing, you started to become distant. Your eyes have become clouded and do not shine as much as they used to," Rufal added.

The young princess of Hyrule smiled sadly at her elderly adviser.

"To think someone other than Fanista had noticed," Zelda sighed out.

"Princess..." the bald man muttered.

"Perhaps one day my heart will be whole again, but I must first protect this land," the monarch stated.

/

A midnight blue curtain dotted with tiny bright lights covered the expansive sky, overlooking the land of Hyrule. Under the night, the elderly adviser Rufal cast a sad look at the large gates leading to the grand structure that is the heart of the land before scurrying off into the deserted streets of Hyrule Castle Town. The bald man quietly unlocked an aged door, which protested from long periods of discontinued use. After taking one last look at the peaks of Hyrule Castle, he entered the small home, and the door closed with a gentle click.


	2. Into Darkness

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda, just this plot and misc. characters. Spoilers!

A/N: Ugh...sorry for the lack of updates. Been really busy!

Story Notes: None this time!

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_**Double-Sided Majesty**_

_**Chapter Two: Into Darkness**_

_**written by SYChunsa**_

Bright blue eyes snapped open as lips parted, gasping for breath. The shadow of darkness consumed her dreams, and soon, the darkness would consume her land as well. Zelda slowly sat up and cast a glance at the window. No birds chirped, and there was no sun to greet her. Life had fled, already sensing the approaching darkness.

A light rapping on the door drew the attention of the princess. The door opened to reveal a young maid with platinum blond hair and hazel eyes around Zelda's age. The princess held in a sigh of disappointment.

"That's right...Fanista and Rufal are not here," Zelda thought.

"Your Majesty, are you all right?" the maid's soft voice questioned.

"I'm sorry, Sofia. I have been feeling a little lonely," the monarch replied.

"Err...I'm sorry for asking, Your Majesty," Sofia squeaked out, unsure about how to react to Zelda's personal slip.

"It is fine. How is Head Helena fairing these days?" the princess casually asked.

"Oh, Head Maid Helena is doing fine. She is still rather boisterous for her age, but it is catching up to her. She is not moving as quickly as she used to," Sofia replied as she rolled in a cart full of breakfast foods.

"I see. Well, give my regards to her," Zelda said as she slipped out of bed.

"I will, Your Majesty. Just leave the cart outside. I will come pick it up later," the maid said before exiting, closing the door with a click.

The Princess of Hyrule looked at the food. The nourishment did not look as appetizing today, but Zelda nibbled on a piece of bread anyway as she pondered upon the maid Sofia and the head maid Helena. Helena was perhaps one of the oldest members of the castle staff, having worked in the castle for over thirty years. She had been good friends with the late queen, and Helena took it upon herself to become Zelda's mother figure after the passing of the queen.

Sofia entered the castle ten years ago as a young orphan girl under the guardianship of Helena, and Zelda had developed a comfortable relationship with Sofia since the two were the same age. Once Sofia was old enough, she was assigned to be Zelda's personal maid in addition to being chosen as Helena's successor to the position of Head Maid by the recommendation of other members of the staff. The princess finished her breakfast, and she realized that she had become distant to Helena, Sofia, Fanista, and Rufal. Perhaps the impending time of darkness had given Zelda the clarity of mind to re-evaluate her relationships.

Zelda quickly got dressed, putting on the decorative armor with practiced ease. The princess let a sad smile show as she recalled an old memory where Sofia had helped the struggling princess put on the decorative armor for the first time. Embarrassed by the events, the princess secretly practiced getting the armor off and on until she could perform the task successfully. Sofia had congratulated the princess, and the two had shared a genuine bout of laughter together.

The monarch fixed her crown. Perhaps one day Zelda would be able to sleep without the crown still on her head. When Zelda had found out when she was younger that she should not take off the crown even in sleep, the princess had whined and complained to Fanista. Fanista's mother had scolded the young monarch before comforting her when she had cried later that day.

The princess pushed the cart outside of her room before her mind wandered with her feet. Soon she found herself standing before a large painting hanging in the grand hall leading to the upper throne room. Her gloved hand gently rested against the picture. In the painting, she stared back at a younger version of herself surrounded by her father and mother. The late King of Hyrule had the brilliant and shimmering blue eyes characteristic of the Royal Family, his gentle smile framed by a full and generous dark blond beard while his visage was framed by neatly cropped dark blond hair. Zelda's mother equally gentle smile caused her green eyes to crinkle the slightest, and her long chestnut colored hair was neatly braided and pulled back. From the portrait, one could tell that Zelda had mostly taken after her mother with the exception of her eyes, the signature feature of the Royal Family.

The portrait was now merely a reminder of happier days which had not been visited since her mother's death. Zelda's gloved hand traced the picture as the monarch pulled away to ascend the stairs to her burden. The mundane salutes of the knights did not irritate her today. After all, there was something coming that demanded a great deal more of her attention.

/

Zelda snapped her head to the west, becoming overwhelmed by a suffocating presence in her bosom. Before the princess could order one of the knights to go investigate from the watch tower, her soul clenched with crippling force as she sensed an overwhelming darkness invade the castle grounds. Sudden outcries and sounds of chaos echoed from the castle grounds, and Zelda stood from her throne before running toward the open entrance. She looked to the skies to find a mysterious black portal lined with red rings depositing foul black creatures.

The Princess of Hyrule stood in disbelief, sounds around her becoming garbled as she realized just how powerless she was. The unforeseen ability to warp by the enemy only proved that Hyrule had become too accustomed to peace, having not seen war for several decades. The nobles and knights ran around panicking, but Zelda's eyebrows furrowed in determination as she ran back up the small set of stairs before unsheathing her sword hidden behind the throne, a gorgeous blade with a golden hilt and light build: the family heirloom.

"Calm down! Get a report from the lower levels!" the monarch barked.

The soldiers looked at her blankly before a single knight growled at them.

"You spineless fools! You! You're the fastest! Go down and return with a report immediately!" he gruffly yelled.

The knight who was singled out scrambled out of the throne room.

"And all of you! Protect the nobles and Her Majesty with your life!" the same knight ordered.

The members of the Royal Guard scrambled, forming ranks and setting up large shields. Zelda blinked in surprise as she watched the commanding knight perform a rather amiable job ordering the others around. His voice sounded familiar.

"I, General Gaebora, will guard you with my life, Your Majesty!" the middle aged knight rumbled out.

The stout man unsheathed his sword and put an arm in front of Zelda. Gaebora...the name finally returned to Zelda's memories as she gazed upon his back. He was the former general Auru's right hand man. When Auru had retired, Gaebora was selected to become the next general. Unfortunately, the knights had slowly fallen into decline with the leave of the general. Gaebora was one of the few remaining knights to fully dedicate himself to the throne.

The knight who had been sent down earlier stumbled into the room panting. He scrambled up the stairs to share his report with General Gaebora. Out of breath, he let out gasps between words.

"The invaders...have...destroyed our...defenses...they use...unknown magic...nothing we do...is effective..." he managed to say.

Zelda watched Gaebora's grip tighten around his sword.

"Join the blockade. We must hold strong for Her Majesty!" he barked out.

The rather skinny knight scrambled to set up his shield, and the princess took a moment to observe the ominous skies and rather shabby barricade. Her chest tightened with even greater force than before and chills travelled up her spine, causing her hair to stand on end. The darkness was close.

Suddenly, black mist entered the throne room in a rush, and the knights jumped the tiniest bit. Zelda's brows furrowed, her frown deepened, and she tightened her grip on her sword. In the blink of an eye, black creatures rushed out from the mist.

"Charge!" Gaebora ordered.

The knights ran forth, their blades poised and battle cries filling the room. However, their efforts proved futile as the creatures pinned them down or cast them aside. Zelda gasped as her subjects fell prey to the unknown monsters, and she shifted her position slightly. The black monsters suddenly stopped, and Zelda's sensitive Hylian ears picked up the echoing of footsteps. She felt like she was being smothered by the approaching darkness, and her blue eyes observed a human-like figure walk into the throne room accompanied by two black creatures.

This figure wore clothes she had never seen before. A black tunic with overly long sleeves embroidered with an eerily bright turquoise thread adorned the assumed masculine figure. He wore a large mask, perhaps made out of stone? She was not sure. A chilling screech reached her ears, and she refrained from flinching.

"It is time for you to choose. Surrender or die," a raspy voice whispered from underneath the mask.

Zelda's eyes flickered over to one of the soldiers struggling in the grip of one of the black creatures.

"Oh, yes. A question for all the land and people of Hyrule," he continued.

The monarch could almost feel the sadistic grin emerging from behind the ornate helmet.

"Life? Or death?"

The question echoed throughout the air. Zelda's blue eyes glanced over the struggling and fallen soldiers. General Gaebora and the remaining knight guarding her turned toward her, and the burden of the crown suddenly multiplied by twenty fold. This was the darkness that had been coming. The vision from the other day briefly flickered across her vision, and the blue eyed creature of light stared back at her. The eyes of the princess slowly closed, her shoulders slumped, and her grip loosened on her sword. The pristine blade clattered onto the floor, and the two knights let out a surprised gasp.

"Your Majesty!" General Gaebora exclaimed.

The brown haired princess held up a hand, silencing Gaebora.

"I shall surrender under one condition," Zelda stated.

"Oh ho. I hardly think you are in such a position to be making demands, Princess of the Light World," the dark figure hissed, flicking his wrist under the long sleeve.

Two black creatures descended upon Gaebora and the other knight.

"Will death make you see your lack of power?" he mused, dropping his arm.

Zelda watched the black creature's grip tightening around General Gaebora's neck, the creature's knuckles shifting every so slightly. Death. She had never feared it. The princess had merely seen it as an exit from this life. After all, her father and mother had departed from the land of the living when she was younger. Yet, she felt its presence smother her, and the brown haired princess felt something snap inside of her.

Yes, at that very moment she feared the presence of unnatural death, which would steal away her subjects. Zelda admitted she was selfish as she felt her body move on its own. A shriek echoed throughout the throne room, and Gaebora fell onto the ground, gasping to replenish his diminished air supply. The foul black creature writhed on the ground, holding its dissolving arm, and Zelda's eyes glowed a haunting blue with raw fury and magic power. The princess held an arm out, light particles still floating near her appendage as evidence of the blast of pure concentrated light magic. The black creatures hissed and shied away from Zelda, but after a few seconds, they tightened their grip on the knights by command of the masked figure.

"Very well. Unfortunate ends await us if we continued the battle. Name your conditions, oh Princess of the Light Realm," the man sneered.

The princess lowered her arm and closed her eyes.

"In exchange for the safety of all the subjects of Hyrule, I shall be your prisoner," Zelda replied.

"Your Majesty!" Gaebora exclaimed.

The monarch could imagined the grin forming behind the mask.

"The condition is accepted," he hissed, motioning for Zelda to come down from the elevated throne platform.

Zelda took in a deep breath before exhaling. She started to walk down the steps, but a slight tug on the bottom of her dress caused her to pause.

"General, please let me go. Do not worry for there is hope. The Goddesses have said so," she said, not turning to look at Gaebora on the floor.

"I worry for you, Princess Zelda," the general mumbled out.

"When the kingdom is saved, I shall be saved as well," the young woman replied before pulling her dress away from the general's grip to descend the steps.

Zelda came to a stop in front of the clothed figure. He soon closed the distance, and a pale blueish gray hand emerged from the sleeve to toy with the piece of hair hanging in front of her left ear. The mask's mouth piece retracted, and the man placed his strange lips close to Zelda's ear. She suppressed a shiver as hot breath came into contact with her sensitive Hylian ears.

"You are mine now...I expect you to be a well-behaved and obedient prisoner," he hissed.

Zelda's royal blue eyes glared at the man-creature.

"Be careful, you may find yourself burned," the princess commented with venom.

Her eyes flashed briefly as the figure was forced to retreat, gripping his hand, sizzling from Zelda's short burst of light magic.

"You play a dangerous game, My Princess. Take her away to the tallest tower!" he growled out.

Four black creatures surrounded her like guards.

"If you think about escaping, I am sure you know what will happen," the man hissed out as a final warning to Zelda's retreating back.

The princess closed her eyes, and Zelda disappeared from the throne room. The masked figure and his creatures retreated from the room as well, leaving Gaebora and the other knights to wallow in their defeat. The general slowly got onto his feet.

"All of you, return home if you want. If you wish to remain in the castle, leave me be in this room for the moment," his baritone voice ordered.

The knights scrambled out of the room, some leaving behind their equipment to return home while the brave few possessed the dignity to keep the pride of their knighthood with them. General Gaebora took a moment to gaze upon the large Triforce surrounded by sculptures of the Goddesses above Zelda's throne.

"Goddesses, hear my prayers. Protect Princess Zelda, for I am unable to. Please, save this beautiful land," the general muttered before turning his back on the throne.

His footsteps echoed in the now empty throne room of Hyrule's heart.

"Forgive me, Auru. I could not keep my promise to you to keep young Zelda safe," Gaebora sighed out.

With his exit, the throne room was filled with silent mourning for the kingdom that had fallen.


End file.
